The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
FIVE men L7NCHED.
Taken From a South Carolina
Jail and Hanged.
Angry Citizens Avenge the Murder
of a Little Boy.


Five negroes were lynched at Yorkvile, S.
c., the other morning by armed white men.
a special from Yorkrille gives the following
particulars:
About sunset on the evening Of November
50 last cries Of distress were heard in the field
Of William E. Goode. Mrs Goode, her little
daughter, and negro boy hastened in the
direction OF the cries. They found
little John J.. Goode, a boy twelve
years old, lying in O water furrow
insersiblc, His skull was crushed, his mouth
knocked in, and his body almost beaten into
jelly. He was carried to his home, but died
a. 8 o'clock that night.
Circumstances pointed to Nose Lipscomb,
Dan Roberts, Bailey Dowdle, and Pint Thomp-
son, all colored, as the guilty persons, and
they were committed to Jail. Some of
these negroes had been seen by the murdered
hoy stealing cotton from his fathers
field and, to prevent detection, they killed
him, intending to throw the body into Broad
River. only few yards distant, but the ap-
prOach of his mother thwGrtcd their purpose,
and they fed.
Pint Thompson and Dan Roberts made
confession and implicated a number of other
negroes in the crime. They said they wore
stealing 4 basket of cotton when the boy came
upon them, and whilc some held him down,
others beat him to death with rocks and sticks
They further confessed that there was COM
hnation of about forty negroes i'll the county,
who intended to steal and had sworn to Kill
any one who caught them stealing. Later,
twenty more OF the band were lodged in Jail
\ preliminary examination resulted i'll all be-
ing discharged except six Of the principal
criminals Atthis examination it was clearly
drought out that about fifty Of the worst he"
srots; in The country under the leadership Of
I'm old muatto, Giles Good, who has been im-
picated in several murders, We're sworn to
stand by each other, to resist arrest in every
instance. and TO kill every white man who
caught Or charged them with stealing. They
called their organization The Rising Star
Lodge"
One of the prisoners testified that he was
induced to join the order by being told that
they could take OF steal all tho provisions
they needed Another said that the object
of the club was to take whatever they
wanted, and if detected to kill the person
who detected them. All that was
man, who would distribute it among tho
members of the club. and every member was
expected to contribute to the general store.
Several members OF the band were colored
boys not over sixteen years OF age Others
were gray-headed men.
Several murders had been committed III
Yorkville during the past few years which
had always appeared mystery, but every
indication pointcl to members OF this gang
as the perpetrators. Some of them while on
the stand confessed ~ having attempted to
murder white man n few weeks before the
murder Of Gco,le.
Nose Lirscomb Dan Roberts. Bailey Dow
die, Pint Thompson, Giles Good, and John
Cool were committed TO the Iorkvillc Jail
for murder. On the night Of December Is
it was rumored that III attempt would be
made to lynch the prisoners, and the Sheriff
called out the Jenkins Eiflcs to guard
the Jail Tho next night the Sheriff
removed the prisoners, and started
to take them to a railroad station twenty
miles off, Shortly after his departure Il hun
d,ed hol:rmen rode up to the jail and broke
it open, hut the birds had flown. They
gave chase, but the guards took the
prisoners through and elu'led the
lynchins party. Two days we're spent
in the woods before the prisoners were
gotten safely on the train and brought here
for safe keeping Norkvllc has always had
the reputation of heing very pcac?able
county, but number of men swore that
those negroes should never have q trial.
The Criminal Court for Gorkvillc convened
there Yesterday, and Oil Saturday n guard
took the six prisoners back to stand their
trial, which was tn have begun this week.
1t was believed that, as the prisoners We're
certain to be hanged, they would not
be molcsted, and it is probable that
nothing would have leen done had not
Mr.. William E. tioole, the father or the
murdered boy. become u raving lunati, and
been sent to the luuItir asylum. 1t was fur
tlel aScertained that the condition of Mrs
Cookies mind is but little bette: than her llus-
bands, and i'll a short time she will very Eloha-
bly, join hM in the asylum. The home of n
happy. prosperous fnmily had been wrecked
by the horrible murder "f tho only son.
This caused the farmers and friends of the
stricken people tn le"olpe infuriated. Last
night, az there WIZ ND thought Of violence,
the Jail in which The prisoners were con-
fined was unguarde1. save 10y iron
bolts and doors. At midnight Il band
of men b.gan assembling on horseback
outside the village. Three hours later
they began to ride toward the sleeping vii
lage. Just rs the moon was sinking seventy
korSelncn galloped down the deserted street
to the jail and called to the Sheriff. They
tlclnanded the keys. The Sheriff asked them
not to take any rash steps. He waS not
keeded They were prepared to use force,
and In few minutes axes and levers We're ut
work.
One door gave in after another. and at last
they came to the cells Of the doomed men.
The iron doors were burst open, and the mur-
dererS were seized. The prayers for mercy
and the shouts and screams awoke the neigh
borhood. John Good was believed to be in
nocent, and was released Tho other five men
were tied upon horses, and then tile whole
party mounted.
A small crowd had gathered in the neigh
borhood of tho jail, but the lynching party
was not questioned. The men put their
horses to run, dashed out of tho town, and
did not halt until clump of woods u mile
off was reached. Here ropes were put
around the necks Of the five men, and
then thrown over convenient limbs. The
negroes begged for mercy and prayed
and yelled They were utterly terror
stricken when their iaSj moments arrived.
The horses were suddenly made to spring
from under them. 4 volley Of pistol shots
was fired, and the mob melted away in the
darkness. When the sun rose tho bodies of
Giles Cool, Dan Roberts, Nose Lipscomb,
Bailey Dowdle and Pint Thompson were
G..,,. i Al. Al.